Depper shipping in a week!

[ManikMaster]

Okay First time poster (obviously) long time reader(since i went nuke)... I ship for Great lakes in a week and I am looking at my options for my career. I yearn For a life as an OFFICER Pilot or NUPOC I am hoping to be able to get into the STA21 program but don't know my chances or any of the things I should do to make myself stand out as a candidate.
My stats:
95 on asvab thinking about taking it again in attempt to maxout(confident I can do it)...
1900 on new SAT as a high school senior equivalent to around 1300 on the old one
2 years at CalPoly San Luis Obispo...2.0 for GPA(too much partying)
Definitely a Science friendly Brain.
I have a can do attitude and was capable of A's and B's at CALPOLY.
Not a nerd or weirdo ha ha but I am capable when I apply Myself.
Tear apart Cars Bikes anything that goes fast.
I have aspirations towards greatness I believe I am a candidate for management no problem, I am a salesman and can sell myself...don't mean to sound cocky but I am confident in myself.
I am very friendly and easy to be around.

I have a few specific questions,
What rate should I look into?
What are the average salaries for the respective rates?
Is a degree from Thomas Edison worth ANYTHING?
should I look towards degree or Job straight out?
Any other schools I should look towards to complete my BS while enlisted?
I have a fiancee and am wondering if anyone has any suggestions as far as stations and whether SSBN or SSN(I want to volunteer Sub)
What should I do to stand out and make myself look good?

any help or suggestions would be helpful, or any other things I should think on...
Thanks!!!
Manik

[TheObiJuan]

I'm pretty sure when I first got to this site I had every question you asked answered by reading every thread a few times to fully understand the extensive use of abbreviations and navy jargon.
This will get you ahead of the game: http://www.nukeworker.com/forum/index.php?action=search2

Your ASVAB doesn't mean shit now that you are in. Focus on being physically fit and being subordinate for RTC.

Rate: you can request but needs of navy trump your desire. I'd shoot for machinist mate.

Pay: google E-3 pay for 2009

Degree: Yes and No, depends on what you want. Search will help.

Job: get through A-school, get qualified, then think about it. There's a thread in one of the Navy boards about degree vice job first, it's a good read.

BS degree:Your options will be more limited while enlisted, also policies and available options change too so address it once your qual'd.

SUB: Oh jesus, once you get to A-School you'll hear more stories than you can stomach and have every question answered by every person around. They vary in their missions, deployment cycles and duration, and ports. Volunteering sub does not guarantee sub either.

Suggestions: Read every thread here twice, bust your ass at RTC, stay focused in the pipeline, and when you hit the fleet get qualified ASAP.

For my officer package I've been working on my personal goals and I volunteer a lot in the civilian world now, help my shipmates study way beyond my mandatory hours, class leadership position, very clean record, go above and beyond on tasks, do what needs to be done BEFORE you get asked.
You will need to separate yourself from the 2.0GPA person in your past as quickly as you can.
How old is your SAT?
 

[AFT21]

I'm biased, but here's what I think on the rate decision.  You like working on cars/bikes, so be a mechanic.  It's not the same type of mechanic, but it's still turning a wrench and getting dirty.  Operationally, there is nothing better than a drills, or a Engineroom shutdown as an Engineroom Supervisor.  You're flying around the Engineroom, winging valves, and taking care of sh*t.  It would take me an hour to fully explain it, but you sound like the type that would enjoy it.  Shutdowns are the best, because you're going home.  ET's generally eat their young, but they have to be that way, because those guys will be controlling the reactor with an O-6 watching someday.  Their gear only has switches, with set positions, so many of them start to see all operations, and then life that way.  The idea of throttling valves eludes many of them.  They see the world only in black and white, never gray.  I'm not saying that they're all this way, my boat had a couple that weren't, but they hung out with the mechanics.  Electricians are coners that get propay.  Lots of guys go to be ELT's because they like chemistry and then find themselves buried in radiological controls paperwork.  I almost made this mistake myself.  If you are a submarine mechanic, fight like hell for weld school.  It will be the best 8-10 weeks you have of your first 6-8 years in the Navy.  If you want to be a manager, you're going to get the most experience coordinating with entities outside your division as a mechanic or an electrician leading petty officer, especially in a shipyard availability.

MM1/SS

[ManikMaster]

You will need to separate yourself from the 2.0GPA person in your past as quickly as you can.
How old is your SAT?
 

couple years...took it as a junior in 05 probably need another one eh?
Thanks for the responses...

[TheObiJuan]

# Qualifying ACT and SAT scores MUST come from the same test and be included in the application when submitting to the Commanding Officer. If multiple tests are taken, we will take your BEST scores within three (3) years of application deadline (i.e., applicants for 2005 must submit scores from a test taken after 01 July 2002). As of 5 April 2005, the NEW SAT is in three sections. We look at the Math and the Critical Reading sections of the test. To be eligible, we require a minimum of 1000 SAT,(500 Math and 500 Critical reading). Older test was 500 Math, 500 Verbal. We will still accept the scores from earlier tests if they are within three years of the 1 July application due date. ACT minimum score of 41 (21 Math, 20 English) is required. Applicants for the Nuclear Option must have a minimum of 1140 SAT (combined Math/Verb or Critical Reading) or 50 ACT (combined Math/English). No waivers.

from: https://www.sta-21.navy.mil/er.html

[93-383]

Electricians are coners that get propay. 

MM1/SS

LOL that ones going in my quote of the day book Karma +1 to ya

MM1/SW